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The IFOAM Norms

Please find here the current version (Version August 2014) of the IFOAM Norms

Latest News25/07/2014: IFOAM members approved by electronic vote the new versions of the IFOAM Standard (Version 2.0) and the IFOAM Accreditation Requirements (Version 2.0). Those were published in the new 2014 Book of Norms.

In 2010, IFOAM launched its new Organic Guarantee System (OGS). The implementation of this new OGS contains major changes to the IFOAM Norms. While they have historically been composed of the IFOAM Basic Standards (IBS) and the IFOAM Accreditation Criteria, since 2012, the IFOAM norms now contain the following normative documents:

The development of the IFOAM Norms is regulated by the IFOAM Policy 20 and involves three committees (for more information visit the OGS Commitees page) and goes through a number of public consultation rounds and membership motion processes.

What has changed in the IFOAM norms between Version 2005 and the subsequent versions?

The IFOAM Basic Standards (IBS) has been replaced by the IFOAM Standard, which has been approved through electronic membership vote ending on the 5th of August 2012.

The Plant Breeding Draft Standards have been deleted (they are now integrated into the approved IFOAM Standard).

The COROS (Common Objectives and Requirements of Organic Standards – IFOAM Standards Requirements), approved in July 2011, has been added to the book of norms.

The IFOAM Accreditation Criteria for Bodies Certifying Organic Production and Processing has been renamed the “IFOAM Accreditation Requirements for Bodies Certifying Organic Production and Processing”, in line with the OGS membership vote of July 2010, and the corresponding edits have been included throughout the document, as well as small changes in its introduction. Its reference to the IBS has been changed to reference the IFOAM Standard.

Introductory and general sections on the IFOAM Norms, the IFOAM Organic Guarantee System, the IFOAM Accreditation Program, etc. have been updated.

Changes from the 2012 to the 2014 version of the IFOAM Standard and of the IFOAM Accreditation Requirements can be viewed through track changes versions:

- changes from the 2012 to the 2014 versions of the IFOAM Standard can be viewed here.

- changes from the 2012 to the 2014 versions of the IFOAM Accreditation Requirements can be viewed here.